INTERNATIONAL

People with disabilities fight back against austerity

by Melissa Graham

People with disabilities in the UK joined the fight against austerity last month in an unprecedented march of thousands.

The UK government has proposed welfare reforms and cuts that will severely effect their independence and equality.

The protesters, many of whom had never been on a demonstration before, included people from across the country. They traveled by coach or train to get to the protest and fight for their rights.
Reports of the number of protesters vary from 5,000 to 8,000 people, an impressive number considering the obstacles they faced to get there.

To many, this is a fight against ignorance and oppression.

The reforms will make independence and everyday life impossible for many, by forcing 3.5 million people with disabilities to lose over £9.2 billion in critical support by 2015.

The government claims that the cuts will result in more disabled people moving into work, but in reality, more people with disabilities are going to end up trapped in long-term unemployment or stuck in a cycle of precarious work.

These cuts have also had an impact on how people with disabilities are perceived in the UK.

Since the government launched the reforms, people with disabilities have faced greater hostility from the general public. According to a survey, a majority of people with disabilities stated that they experienced hostility, discrimination or even physical attacks from strangers on a weekly basis and more than a third of respondents claimed the situation had become worse in the last year.

The cuts are being framed as a way to catch people who are “cheating the system,” much like what people with disabilities faced in Ontario during the Mike Harris years.

The government is promoting an oppressive, ableist and medicalized view of disability. The government has introduced medical and psychological tests for those claiming need of assistance. There is clearly no recognition of the fact that people with disabilities are already “the hardest hit” by existing cuts to transportation, education and housing.

Though the government has failed to make this connection, people with disabilities in the UK have not. This was reflected in slogans on the march such as “Blame Banks Not Disabled People” and “Don’t Leave Me Stranded.” People are also getting bolder, and looking to historical disability movement actions for inspirations. More recently, people with disabilities held up London traffic for almost an hour protesting at government cuts by handcuffing themselves to a double decker bus. Canadians with disabilities, please take note.